The newest issue of Entertainment Weekly features the best of the past ten years, with our favorite author gaining a spot in the Top 15 Entertainers of the Decade. Coming in at number 3, the magazine writes of Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling:

“As 1999 came to a close, J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter were already
household names ” as long as those households contained literate
children with a voracious appetite for fantasy fiction. In 2000, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
” the fourth book in the British author’s seven-book cycle ” ignited a
global pop phenomenon that got the attention of all readers, young and
young at heart. By 2007, the planet was both eagerly anticipating and
deeply dreading the release of the final Potter novel, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
When it finally arrived, it became clear that Rowling had nailed one of
the decade’s greatest artistic achievements: finishing not just bloody
well, but brilliantly.”

The magazine also highlight’s readers choices for their favorites, with Harry Potter taking the number one spot. Quotage:

“The Entertainer of the Decade is obviously Harry Potter ” a
franchise that covers all the cultural bases, selling books, movie
tickets and merchandise. Fans whip up butterbeer batches, obsess over
John Williams’ iconic score, even listen to ”wizard rock.” College
students actually play Quidditch (and when someone comes up with the
right jet-propulsion technology, they can play it for real). Millions of people all over the globe watched J.K. Rowling answer questions about Deathly Hallows on television. Unlike anything else, Harry Potter has literally taken over the entire world.

Heck, Harry Potter has actually inspired new entries into the Oxford English Dictionary!
Muggle is now an actual, accepted word. If that doesn’t point to
influence, I don’t know what does. And unlike the vast majority of
names suggested by EW readers for this list, Harry Potter has actually been around (and consistently popular) for the entire decade.”